Enzo was quiet when they stood from the table and walked back to the workspace. His emotions were at war with the logic Tobias had presented. I want to trust Talwen, but, when I think about it, there’s not any reason to.

He looked over at the old man, as Tobias began to light a fire in the new furnace. I want to trust him too, but, ultimately, he’s just as biased against dragons as I am for Talwen.

Tobias tossed a shovelful of charcoal into the fire and the heat flared up. Instinctively, Enzo watched the motion of the flames and manipulated them into various shapes. He tried to make the dragon again, but couldn’t quite get the shape right. In the end, it just looked like a snake, writhing in the light.

I need to have a serious conversation with Talwen but I don’t know if I can. She’s ignored me the last couple days, and she’s never seen me as an equal. Maybe leaving is for the best.

“Let’s get that temperature up,” said Tobias eventually, breaking the silence. “Need to remove the moisture before we do any real work here.”

Enzo swirled the flames into a vortex, channeling the heat along the walls for the forge. He added his own mana to the flames, and the resulting heat produced a small plume of steam from the top of the forge. Funny how just a couple weeks ago, I was struggling to keep a little fire in my palm and now I can do all this without much effort at all.

As the flames danced within the forge, Enzo began to mark the weak spots in their handiwork from the day before. Tobias mixed more concrete and applied patches to the areas that were deemed weak. Eventually, the concrete of the forge was dried and ready for use.

Tobias looked Enzo up and down. The kid is really just a boy in a young man’s body, he thought. I’m sure this has been a lot to take in. He patted down his gloves and returned the tools to their places on the wall.

Tobias dragged a sweaty hand across his face as he looked over the finished forge. “Well, I’m pretty pleased with our progress today. How about you take off early?” He tossed a small bag with a few silver coins inside and Enzo caught it. “Your pay for the work so far. Now, don’t get used to this sort of thing, going forward I’ll pay you at the end of a week. Go get a meal, and introduce yourself around town.”

“Think I’ll do just that. See you tomorrow,” Enzo replied.

I hope he makes the right decision, Tobias thought as he watched Enzo leave the workshop.

===========================================

The inn was fairly busy, considering it was still early afternoon. Enzo took a seat at the bar and watched the activity. Olena hustled around the room, taking orders and bringing people their food and drink. Her long brown hair was braided again today, and swayed as she moved between the tables. You know, I think I could find a place here. Eventually she returned to the bar and smiled at him.

“Welcome back! Sorry, we’ve got some tourists from Baybreach in town sightseeing and they’ve all decided to eat here before heading back to the city,” Olena said, slightly out of breath. “The usual? I’ve still got a couple bottles and we have a little more stew left.”

“Sounds great,” Enzo replied, smiling back at her. I can’t help but grin like a fool when she smiles at me.

“Coming right up!” she said, and dashed back into the kitchen.

While Enzo waited, Oskar and Manuel entered the inn. The pair were arguing about something, and slid into seats at the bar next to Enzo.

“...he just creeps me out okay?” said Manuel, as he took a seat.

“I know, but they’re here for a good reason. That dragon has to go, and the governor actually sent us some help for once. I don’t care how off-putting they are if they get the job done,” replied Oskar.

“I’m with you, those guards give me a bad feeling,” Enzo said, joining the conversation. The two men were surprised but turned to include Enzo in their discussion.

“See? It’s not just me. We need to keep a close eye on those guys,” said Manuel. He offered his hand to Enzo. “I’m Manuel, by the way.”

“Enzo, nice to meet you.” They grasped hands and shook.

“So, what brings you back to town?” said Oskar, leaning in. “I remember you were the one who found the scale originally.”

“I figure it's probably safer to be here than out hunting with those beasts around,” replied Enzo cautiously. “Did you hear all that howling the other night? Felt like that dragon had a fight with a whole pack of wolves.”

“Yeah, that night was wild. Never seen this place so quiet,” mused Oskar. “I just want this to be finished. We can handle a couple wolves, but a pack big enough to face off with a dragon? I hope they killed each other off.”

“I agree! My poor Betsy hasn’t been able to roam the fields in days and she’s getting ornery,” said Manuel. Enzo gave Oskar a questioning look.

“Manuel’s a shepherd,” Oskar explained. “He’s got an… intimate… relationship with several of his cows.”

“Don’t say it like that! You’ll give him the wrong ideas! What if Olena hears?” Manuel responded, exasperated.

“I’ll hear what?” interjected Olena, as she returned with Enzo’s dinner.

“Just that Manuel here has been enjoying his ample special time with dearest Betsy these last few days,” cut in Enzo before Manuel could respond. “He’s worried you might get jealous.”

“Oh, don’t you worry,” Olena responded flirtatiously. “I know I could never take Manie away from his true love. I’ve already accepted that I'll have to settle for a kind gentleman like one of you two.” She glanced lovingly between Oskar and Enzo, causing both to blush.

“Now, will you boys be eating here as well, or just the usual drinks?” Olena asked the two friends. She took their orders and continued bustling around the inn.

“You know, that was clever,” Oskar said to Enzo after Olena had moved on. He looked him up and down. “You planning on settling in here? I could use some help keeping Manie in check.”

“As if you need help! I’m the victim here!” Manuel interjected, feigning outrage.

“Well, Tobias has been trying to get me to stick around. I did some work with him the last few days, and I think he wants to bring me on as an apprentice,” responded Enzo.

“Do it, Tobias is a respected member of the community here,” said Oskar. “I’d take the opportunity in a heartbeat if he was interested in me, and Gods know he needs the help.”

“I’d have to find some place to stay,” said Enzo.

“I’ll speak with Gunnar, the captain of the guard here,” offered Oskar. “If you’re willing to take up arms, I’m sure he’d let you stay in one of the barracks. We’ve got a few open beds and he’s a reasonable guy.”

“Nothing has been decided yet, but I’ll keep it in mind,” responded Enzo.

The trio talked and joked as afternoon turned into evening. Eventually, Enzo looked outside and saw the sun beginning to set.

“It’s been good guys, but I’ve got to head out. Same time tomorrow?” Enzo asked.

“We’ll be here,” Manuel responded, raising his mug as Enzo stood.

Enzo nodded and waved to the two young men, then left the inn. He smiled as he walked through the gates and headed back into the woods. Maybe this isn’t such a bad thing. If I can get a moment with her, maybe I can talk Talwen into just leaving on her own and letting me live my own life. Feeling positive for the first time all day, Enzo jogged back and entered the cave just after dark.